Why your blue IKEA shopper is about to become the IT bag of the season

If you’re a fan of IKEA, mecca to all things homewares and hygge, you’ll be very familiar with the blue shopping bags that you stuff your purchases into at the end of a shopping trip.

But it turns out, the humble blue plastic bag for life isn’t just a humble blue plastic bag for life.

It’s actually the inspiration behind the ‘IT’ bag of the season that has already sold out.

Balenciaga has created a blue tote almost identical to the IKEA blue shopping bag. Pic: REX

Balenciaga’s SS17 show was choca with oversized man bags that would make great alternatives to the usual Nike and Adidas sports bags used for gym gear and the other miscellaneous items the modern man carries about on his daily business.

And the one that has proved to be most popular is the bright cobalt blue Arena Creased Leather Holdall that looks very much like the IKEA shopping bag.

The IKEA Frakta bag costs just 70c. Pic: IKEA

Created using luxe leather instead of plastic, the look and feel is a bit more glam than the IKEA original and then there’s the lack of branding in garish contrasting yellow to add to the expensive effect.

But with the designer version coming in at over €2,000, if you can afford to buy this beauty, you’re probably not shopping at IKEA where the bag costs just 70c, so totally unaware of any similarities.